Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Friday 17 august 2018
Australian sex abuse victim settles with Catholic order

Associated Press "I just wanted the apology
PERTH, Australia (AP) — A of the Christian Brothers
74-year-old man with termi- and I would have been
nal cancer said on Thursday happy with that," he said.
he could die happy after His lawyer Michael Maga-
reaching a 1 million Austra- zanik told reporters it was a
lian dollar ($727,000) land- landmark case in Western
mark settlement against a Australia.
Catholic religious order for "If it weren't for recent
sexual abuse he suffered changes in WA law, none
in Australia more than 50 of this was possible," Maga-
years ago. zanik said. "Now WA law is
Paul Bradshaw was to tes- the fairest and certainly the
tify on Thursday in the West- most progressive for survi-
ern Australia state District vors like Paul."
Court about his ill treat- Magazanik said the or-
ment at Castledare Junior phanages housed the most
Orphanage and Clontarf vulnerable children who
Orphanage run by the Irish had no families to go home
Chritian Brothers order in to, nobody to complain to
the 1950s and '60s. and nobody outside the or-
But instead, a settlement phanages to protect them.
was reached with the Trust- "They were utterly vulner-
ees of the Christian Brothers able and the orphanages
for the abuse he suffered at In this photo made from video, Australian church abuse victim Paul Bradshaw, 74, speaks during were a magnet for the very
the hands of Brothers Law- a press conference outside a courthouse in Perth, Australia. worst of the brothers, the
rence Murphy, Bruno Doyle Associated Press violent pedophiles," Maga-
and Christopher Angus, zanik said.
who are all dead. hoping now that this has elaide Philip Wilson was this was recommended by the Magazanik said 10 years
Bradshaw is the first vic- been settled and I can get week sentenced to 1 year Royal Commission into Insti- before Murphy abused
tim to claim damages for on with my last six months in in home detention after tutional Responses to Child Bradshaw, he was report-
historical child sex abuse peace." becoming the most senior Sexual Abuse, which made ed for child sex abuse but
under laws that recently "I will die happy now know- Catholic cleric to be con- its final report in December. nothing was done about it.
came into effect in West- ing that I can care for my victed of covering up child Australia's longest-running Twice as a child, Brad-
ern Australia, removing the family," he added. sex abuse. royal commission — which shaw reported his abuse
time limit for such cases. The Catholic Church, Aus- Pope Francis' former fi- is the country's highest form and both times he was dis-
He cried outside court, ex- tralia's largest denomina- nance minister, Cardinal of inquiry — had been in- missed.
plaining his 60-year fight tion, in May became the George Pell, faces trial on vestigating since 2012 how When he left Clontarf, Brad-
and said he was relieved first non-government institu- sexual assault charges in institutions responded to shaw told a judge his alle-
his family would receive his tion to commit to a AU$3.8 Australia. The exact details sexual abuse of children in gations but was labelled a
compensation money. He billion ($2.9 billion) national and nature of the charges Australia over 90 years. The liar and admitted to a psy-
said doctors had advised redress plan for victims of have not been disclosed to inquiry heard the testimo- chiatric hospital, Magaza-
that he only had six months child sex abuse in Australian the public, though police nies of more than 8,000 sur- nik said. In the 1990s, Brad-
to live. institutions over decades. have described them as vivors of child sex abuse. Of shaw also participated in
"I lived on the street most The Catholic Church esti- "historical" sexual assaults, those who were abused in the criminal prosecution of
of my life and I don't want mates it alone will be liable meaning they are alleged religious institution, 62 per- Murphy, but prosecutors
them to go through the for about AU$1 billion in to have occurred decades cent were Catholics. eventually dropped the
same thing I went through," compensation. ago. Bradshaw said his case was case and he died without
he told reporters. "I'm just Former Archbishop of Ad- The national redress plan never about money. facing justice.q